Saying goodbye to 'a friend, colleague and mentor'

Former Charlton resident a leader to the end

The Traina family — Richard, Polly and Spike the greyhound. (click for larger version)

March 14, 2011

CHARLTON — Although he only lived in town about four years, Richard Traina showed the kind of leadership at Overlook that he'd shown throughout his career as president of Clark University.

As a member of Overlook's Resident Council he "contributed a lot," said neighbor Barbara Delano. "He brought a very level head. He could see the big picture, take out the good and the bad, and present it in a way that was easy for people to understand."

Traina died March 8 of cancer at age 73, leaving his wife Margaret ("Polly"), three children and many grandchildren. His funeral was in Worcester Saturday, March 12.

He had been Clark president from 1984-2000 and was well known in Worcester for using the college's presence to revitalize the once-downtrodden Main South neighborhood.

For more on this story, please see tomorrow's Southbridge Evening News.